The Padma Awards, among India’s highest civilian accolades, are conferred annually in three categories: Padma Vibhushan, Padma Bhushan, and Padma Shri. These awards recognize outstanding contributions across diverse disciplines and fields, with the announcements traditionally coinciding with Republic Day celebrations.
The Padma Vibhushan is awarded for exceptional and distinguished service, while the Padma Bhushan acknowledges distinguished service of high order. The Padma Shri, the most inclusive of the three, celebrates distinguished service in any field.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi extended his congratulations to the awardees, remarking, “Congratulations to all the Padma awardees! India is proud to honour and celebrate their extraordinary achievements. Their dedication and perseverance are truly motivating. Each awardee is synonymous with hard work, passion and innovation, which has positively impacted countless lives. They teach us the value of striving for excellence and serving society selflessly.”
Padma Vibhushan Awardees
This year’s Padma Vibhushan honorees include notable figures from various domains:
- Duvvur Nageshwar Reddy (Medicine): Recognized for his exceptional contributions in the field of medicine.
- Justice Jagdish Singh Khehar (Retired) (Public Affairs): Honoured for his distinguished service in the judiciary.
- Kumudini Rajnikant Lakhia (Art): Celebrated for her exceptional contributions to the arts.
- Lakshminarayana Subramaniam (Art): Renowned for his distinguished achievements in the field of music.
- MT Vasudevan Nair (Posthumous) (Literature and Education): Awarded posthumously for his influential contributions to literature and education.
- Osamu Suzuki (Posthumous) (Trade and Industry): Posthumously honoured for his remarkable work in trade and industry.
- Sharda Sinha (Posthumous) (Art): Recognized posthumously for her invaluable contributions to the arts.
Padma Bhushan Awardees
The Padma Bhushan this year acknowledges contributions across fields like literature, arts, and science:
- A Surya Prakash (Literature and Education – Journalism): Honoured for his work in journalism.
- Anant Nag (Art): Recognized for his exceptional contributions to the arts.
- Bibek Debroy (Posthumous) (Literature and Education): Posthumously celebrated for his work in literature and education.
- Jatin Goswami (Art): Honoured for his significant contributions to the arts.
- Dr Jose Chacko Periappuram (Medicine): Recognized for his excellence in medicine.
- Kailash Nath Dikshit (Archaeology): Celebrated for his distinguished service in archaeology.
- Manohar Joshi (Posthumous) (Public Affairs): Posthumously honoured for his contributions to public service.
- Nalli Kuppuswami Chetti (Trade and Industry): Recognized for his exceptional contributions to trade and industry.
- Nandamuri Balakrishna (Art): Honoured for his achievements in the arts.
- PR Sreejesh (Sports): Celebrated for his contributions to Indian sports.
- Pankaj Patel (Trade and Industry): Recognized for his influence in trade and industry.
- Pankaj Udhas (Posthumous) (Art): Posthumously acknowledged for his legacy in music.
- Rambahadur Rai (Literature and Education – Journalism): Honoured for his contributions to journalism.
- Sadhvi Ritambhara (Social Work): Recognized for her selfless service in social work.
- S Ajith Kumar (Art): Celebrated for his significant impact on the arts.
- Shekhar Kapur (Art): Honoured for his contributions to cinema.
- Shobana Chandrakumar (Art): Recognized for her excellence in the field of performing arts.
- Sushil Kumar Modi (Posthumous) (Public Affairs): Posthumously celebrated for his service in public affairs.
- Vinod Dham (Science and Engineering): Recognized for his pioneering contributions to science and engineering.
Padma Shri Awardees
The Padma Shri celebrates a wide range of achievers, reflecting India’s diversity and talent:
- Adwaita Charan Gadanayak (Art): Recognized for his contributions to the arts.
- Achyut Ramchandra Palav (Art): Honoured for his expertise in calligraphy and visual art.
- Ajay V Bhatt (Science and Engineering): Celebrated for his innovative achievements in technology.
- Anil Kumar Boro (Literature and Education): Recognized for his contributions to education.
- Arijit Singh (Art): Honoured for his exceptional influence in music.
- Arundhati Bhattacharya (Trade and Industry): Recognized for her leadership in banking and industry.
- Arunoday Saha (Literature and Education): Celebrated for his contributions to academics.
- Arvind Sharma (Literature and Education): Honoured for his work in the field of education.
- Ashok Kumar Mahapatra (Medicine): Recognized for his distinguished service in healthcare.
- Ashok Laxman Saraf (Art): Celebrated for his enduring contributions to cinema.
- Ashutosh Sharma (Science and Engineering): Recognized for his innovations in engineering.
- Ashwini Bhide Deshpande (Art): Honoured for her achievements in classical music.
- Baijnath Maharaj (Spiritualism): Recognized for his spiritual leadership.
- Barry Godfray John (Art): Celebrated for his contributions to theatre.
- Begam Batool (Art): Honoured for her influence in the arts.
- Bharat Gupt (Art): Recognized for his interdisciplinary work in art and education.
- Bheru Singh Chouhan (Art): Celebrated for his work in traditional folk art.
- Bhim Singh Bhavesh (Social Work): Honoured for his community service.
- BhimavvaDoddabalappaShillekyathara (Art): Recognized for her dedication to traditional art forms.
- Budhendra Kumar Jain (Medicine): Celebrated for his expertise in healthcare.
- CS Vaidyanathan (Public Affairs): Honoured for his service in public administration.
- Chaitram Deochand Pawar (Social Work): Recognized for his commitment to rural development.
- Chandrakant Sheth (Posthumous) (Literature and Education): Posthumously celebrated for his literary contributions.
- Chandrakant Sompura (Architecture): Recognized for his architectural designs.
- Chetan E Chitnis (Science and Engineering): Celebrated for his advancements in science.
- David R Syiemlieh (Literature and Education): Honoured for his contributions to education and historical studies.
- Durga Charan Ranbir (Art): Recognized for his work in traditional dance.
A Celebration of Excellence
The Padma Awards highlight the exceptional efforts of individuals across the nation and abroad. This year’s honorees embody the spirit of hard work, innovation, and service, leaving an indelible mark on their respective fields and inspiring countless others to strive for excellence.